SSN - Tom Clancy [81]
As before, the combat systems officer at the BSY-1 reported the course, speed, and range of the two targets.
"Sonar, conn, stand by."
"Conn, sonar, standing by."
"Match sonar bearings and shoot, tubes three and four."
"Match sonar bearings and shoot, tubes three and four, aye."
"Tubes three and four fired electrically," reported the combat systems officer.
"Conn, sonar, units from tubes three and four running hot, straight, and normal," the sonar supervisor reported as the two torpedoes executed their wire-clearance maneuvers.
Unlike the torpedoes Cheyenne had fired at the first Akula, these were set to run at slow speed until acquisition. Once they had acquired, they would increase their speed and head up from their deep search depth. When they breached the layer, the torpedoes would pitch up and complete their acceleration to attack speed.
"Sonar, conn, aye." responded the captain. 'Time to acquisition?"
"Fourteen minutes, fifteen seconds. Captain," answered the combat systems officer.
By now, Mack had learned that a minute never lasted so long as when you were waiting for torpedoes to acquire the enemy-unless, of course, you were waiting for an enemy torpedo to acquire you.
"Both units have acquired."
"Conn, sonar, Masters 76 and 80 are increasing speed, cavitating heavily."
Sonar reported noisemakers launched by the two Aku-las. Mack responded by ordering "steer the weapons." In order to do this, Cheyenne needed to change her course to the left by ninety degrees so that the bearings to the incoming Akula would diverge from the bearings to the stationary noisemakers.
As soon as the course change was completed, sonar detected the other three Akulas. They were to the northwest of the ones being attacked and were heading for the Paracels.
When a bearing spread was obtained, the combat systems officer reported the torpedoes on course for intercept.
"Cut the wires, shut the outer doors, and reload tubes three and four," ordered the captain. "Make tubes one and two ready in all respects, including opening the outer doors."
He didn't expect to need them, but another melee situation was always possible, and it was better to be prepared for an emergency that never happened than to save the effort and regret it.
"Conn, sonar, we have four torpedoes in the water, bearings 358, 359, 006, and 008. Both Akulas have launched."
"Match sonar bearings and shoot, Masters 76 and 80, as soon as tubes one and two are ready."
Mack knew it was time for Cheyenne to clear datum. It was also time for their own countermeasures to be launched. As soon as he received the report of tubes one and two being fired electrically, he ordered the outer doors shut and the tubes reloaded. That would cut the guidance wires, but there was no help for it, and those torpedoes were outstanding at doing their own thing.
"Steady as she goes," he said. "All ahead flank. Do not cavitate. Make your depth one thousand feet." When those orders had been acknowledged, but before they had been executed, he added, "Rig ship for depth charge."
The Akulas were running away. Mack was relying on the countermeasures to hide him from their sonar. That would give Cheyenne the chance to slip away-but Mack had no intention of slipping away. He was going after the fleeing Akulas.
Cheyenne reached flank speed, on course 275, and at one thousand feet, as the Russian torpedoes entered the baffles after the countermeasures. Sonar didn't hear Cheyenne's last two torpedoes as they entered their terminal homing modes.
"Conn, sonar, two explosions bearing," the sonar supervisor began, but he interrupted himself. "Two more explosions, all to the north, They're lighting up all three sonar consoles, Captain."
He couldn't provide range information for Mack, however. There was too much reverberation to get both direct path and bottom bounce information.